The Crochet Circle

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Welcome to the InstaClan Sessions.  These are chilled out chats with my fibre friends.   Grab a cuppa and join us as we see where the conversation takes us.    I was so pleased to be able to kick off these sessions with my good friend Claudia from Crochet Luna - a woman with fingers in many pies and an avid supporter for crochet and its place in the crafting community.     You can find Claudia in all these places: Etsy Shop  YouTube podcast  Instagram    The next InstaClan Session is with Sonja and Helena from John Arbon Textiles.  I chat to them just as John and Juliet retire and they take over the reigns at the mill.  The session is at 8pm (BST) on 13th May on Instagram @crochet_circle_podcast 

Click here to sign up to the Crochet Circle Podcast monthly newsletter and get the video, audio and show note links sent straight to your inbox on publish day:   Click for Episode 76 podcast links

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Because I was a bit of a numpty, I saved Episode 62 in the wrong audio file and so it didn\'t migrate to all the podcast platforms.  I am adding it again as an MP3 so that it will now appear on Spotify etc.  \r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\nHello there and welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast and the show notes for Episode 62 – Breathe \r\n\r\n\nMy name is Fay and this is my audio and video podcast for those that love fibre crafts, particularly crochet.  It’s a community for people that like to support their fellow humans regardless of race, gender, sexuality, ability, size or age. I hope you feel the welcome embrace and love of the Crochet Clan.  Come on in and stay awhile.  \r\n\r\n\nIn this episode, I cover Final Destination, En Route, Interview snippets with Alyson Chu about Moorit Magazine, Feeding the Habit, Designs in Progress, Quick News Beats and J’adore.    \r\n\r\n\nThis podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co. \r\n\r\n\nThanks to everyone who tunes into the podcast whether it is through Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, Amazon, iTunes or the YouTube Channel. Your support and engagement are really appreciated and makes running a podcast very special and worthwhile.   \r\n\r\n\nIf you would like to support the podcast, you can do that through Patreon: \r\n\r\n\n\r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\n1 – Final Destination \r\n\r\n\nI have a couple of crocheted pieces to show you today. \r\n\r\n\nFirst up is a big, bright, clashy blanket that I absolutely loved working on.  It is made from West Yorkshire Spinners Re:Treat wool (link) which is a roving yarn from Bluefaced Kerry Hill sheep.  It is 140m/153yds per 100g, so chunky wool. \r\n\r\n\nIt is oh so warm when you have worked it up and the stitch definition you get with this wool in crochet is excellent.  The final fabric has a great drape to it and the palette of 17 colours that West Yorkshire Spinners have created make really great cohesive blends or clashy like this one.\r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\n\r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\nThe Strata Blanket is launching in issue 132 of Inside Crochet which is available in newsagents from today and is also available online (link). I pulled together a photo tutorial for the fringing too.  Who doesn’t love a crochet/macrame mash-up!\r\n\r\n\nI do plan to sell this as a standalone pattern when I get the rights back for it, but it’s on the list with a few others…\r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\nMy second FO is a hat that I have created as part of the kick-starter campaign for Moorit Magazine.  It’s a companion design to the Positivity Spiral Cowl.\r\n\r\n\nI used Nene 4ply from RiverKnits which is 100% Bluefaced Leicester (non-superwash) and is grown and spun in the UK.  The colourway is Sommerlicher Nachthimmel (link) and it’s a deep turquoise/teal colour with small variegations down to a mid-teal. \r\n\r\n\nThis wool was a delight to work with.  I have a worked with a lot of RiverKnits yarn as a crocheter and I can tell you that there is a marked difference between the 100% BFL superwash that they used to stock and their new Nene 100% BFL non-superwash wool.  It’s softer, has better drape, actually smells of sheep and as you are working with it, it feels more organic and a lot less formulaic than the old superwash version.\r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\n\r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\nThe hat is based on the same open structure as the positivity spiral and uses the same stitches to get that lovely left slant to the pattern. \r\n\r\n\nThis is another pattern that will be available for general purchase, but only after it has been delivered as part of the rewards for the Moorit Magazine kick-starter campaign (link) - more on that shortly. \r\n\r\n\nThe first people to get it will be the £55+ backers of Moorit Magazine and then after that, it will be on general release through all my usual outlets.\r\n\r\n\n     \r\n\r\n\n2 – En Route\r\n\r\n\nFor too long, I have had a parcel sat at the side of the sofa from Zoe at The Woolist (link).  Zoe undertook a four year PhD on the 72 British pure breeds of sheep.\r\n\r\n\nPart of her ongoing work is to connect with local farmers, suppliers, producers, makers, designers, crafters and create a knowledge base available on her website.  This means a wealth of information is available at our fingertips.\r\n\r\n\nZoe often travels to yarn shows and has a stand where she shows off samples of the 72 breeds knitted up.  Me being me, I offered to crochet up the 72 breeds so that she could also have crocheted samples on her stand. \r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\n  \r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\nThis was not a wholly selfless act.  There are very few people that have worked with all 72 breeds, and probably far, far fewer that have crocheted with them.  So, being sent a parcel of all 72 British sheep breeds is actually a dream come true. \r\n\r\n\nI am nearly halfway through and have been diligently taking notes on each breed and photographing them all before and after.  Needless to say, this is a huge piece of work and one that will take me a few more months to pull together.  However, it will all culminate in more resources for those of us that like to crochet with British breed wools. \r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\n3  – Interview Snippets with Alyson Chu of Moorit Magazine\r\n\r\n\nAt the end of January, I had a chat with Alyson about Moorit Magazine and the kick-starter campaign that she was about to launch to fund the magazine.\r\n\r\n\nMoorit promises to be a high-end crochet magazine with indie spirit!  As I type this, the campaign has smashed way beyond the £10,600 target and the £12,500 stretched target.  The current amount is £18,750 which allows money to roll over into Issue 2 (yay) and for the more copies of Issue 1 to be printed. \r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\nI encourage you to go and look at the Moorit Magazine website (link), follow it on Instagram (link) and to go to the Kickstarter campaign page and pledge of you can (link).  Even though the funds have been pledged for Issue 1, extra funding gives Alyson the backing of the crochet community and the confidence to plough ahead with ideas for Issue 2. \r\n\r\n\nI am SO excited that the crochet community has backed Moorit so wholeheartedly. \r\n\r\n\nSnippets of the interview were used in the podcast and the whole interview can be found on Youtube (link) and Podbean (link).   \r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\n4  – Feeding the Habit\r\n\r\n\nOnly one thing has been purchased this month and that is a house!\r\n\r\n\nNo incoming wool.  You know you don’t really need any for a while when your removal team says “You have a lot of wool. Did you know you have 13 boxes of it?” \r\n\r\n\nMy response was to laugh and say “they were only the boxes you could see through.  There’s more!”\r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\nAlso, I was podcasting in a little oasis of calm, surrounded by boxes and stock:\r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\n\r\n\r\n\nYes that is a massive bottle of gin on the kitchen island!\r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\n5 – Designs in Progress\r\n\r\n\nThank you so much for your responses to me sharing my design process.  It is very clear that this is something that you are interested in whether that is because you are intrigued by the process, or because you want to start designing.\r\n\r\n\nBecause the response has been so great, I want to develop it into a proper podcast section and do it justice.  Therefore, I haven’t rushed into pulling something to deliver for this month’s podcast.  Instead, I will pull together a proper plan and launch it in the next podcast. \r\n\r\n\nWhat I can say is that I also plan to hold Zoom session every 2-3 months for budding designers.  We can talk through the design topic that has just been covered in that last podcast.  I also hope to invite along some of my design and yarn buddies so that you can gain extra insight from them.\r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\n6 – Quick News Beats\r\n\r\n\n1 - Global Hook Up – The February hook ups are scheduled for:\r\n\r\n\nSaturday 20th at 8pm GMT and Sunday 21st at 9am GMT.\r\n\r\n\nThere is a caveat though.  Our internet at the new house is shocking and I will be able to host the session if I can tether my phone to the tablet, or if our fibre has been connected by then. \r\n\r\n\nThe meeting ID number is 475-047-5819 and you will need to join via Zoom which you can do here:  https://www.zoom.us/join  if a password is required, it is WOOL.\r\n\r\n\nIf you are joining on your phone or tablet you will likely need to download the software in advance.  If you are joining from a PC or Mac, you can join via the link above.  Everyone needs to use the same ID number to get into the session. \r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\n7 – J’adore\r\n\r\n\nI found a new podcast/vlog called Talasbaun on YouTube (link).  It’s a young couple that is living an off-grid life in a forest cabin in Sweden.  It is beautifully shot and gives a real insight into off-grid living, working traditional crafts and small scale farming with nose to tail practices.\r\n\r\n\nI will add a content warning though.  They are farmers and eat their own livestock.  There are scenes of butchery and raw meat, which will not be for everyone.\r\n\r\n\nI’ll be back on the 5th of March! \r\n\r\n\nFay x\r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\nInstagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast \r\n\r\n\nInstagram: provenance.craft.co  \r\n\r\n\nInstagram: FayDHDesigns\r\n\r\n\nYouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast\r\n\r\n\nCrochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite\r\n\r\n\n \r\n

Because I was a bit of a numpty, I saved Episode 63 in the wrong audio file and so it didn\'t migrate to all the podcast platforms.  I am adding it again as an MP3 so that it will now appear on Spotify etc.  \r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\nSign up for the podcast newsletter here, to have the podcast and show note links sent straight to your inbox every month.\r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\n\r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\nShow notes for Episode 63 can be found here.\r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\n \r\n

Click here to sign up to the Crochet Circle Podcast monthly newsletter and get the video, audio and show note links sent straight to your inbox on publish day:\r\n\r\n\n\r\n\r\n\n \r\n\r\n\nClick for Episode 64 show notes.\r\n\r\n\n \r\n

Because I was a bit of a numpty, I saved Episode 62 in the wrong audio file and so it didn't migrate to all the podcast platforms.  I am adding it again as an MP3 so that it will now appear on Spotify etc.     Click here to sign up to the Crochet Circle Podcast monthly newsletter and get the video, audio and show note links sent straight to your inbox on publish day:   Click for Episode 62 show notes.